JAZZ LESSON - HIHAT STIRRING

In this lesson we will look at hihat stirring.
This is where we play with the tip of the stick on the top of the
hihat, whilst controlling the motion of the hihats with the left
foot.

The stirring sound is the sustained sound achieved
when the hihats are loosely in contact with each other and
resonating from a stick hit. The top hihat should be roughly 2 mil
from the bottom hihat. If you bring the top hihat up too high, the
hihats will part and you will only hear the sound of the top cymbal,
which will sound like hitting the top of any other cymbal. The sound
you want is the hihats sizzling together.

This subtle
distance is achieved by playing the left foot with the heel down.
Slightly raise the left ball of the foot by contracting the shin
muscle, but only raise it 2 mil, less than half a centimeter. Try
playing the jazz ride pattern on the top of the hihats as
demonstrated in the video above.